Insurance Penetration in Africa—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Insurance in developing countries is not regarded as a main driver for economic growth as compared to other sectors such as infrastructure development and technology. However, insurance contributes to the national economies of many countries in a lot of ways such as employment creation, tax payment, investment, savings, and risk stabilisation amongst others. Insurance further alleviates government efforts in the provision of some amenities such as pension, improving lives of people, economic diversification, mitigating against risks and attracting Direct Foreign Investment (FDI) through risk stabilisation. The rate of insurance penetration in Africa is directly rated to the development and economic growth of a particular country. The systematic review aims to determine why there is a low uptake of insurance products in the Sub-Saharan Region using available, accessed, and published literature. The researcher conducted a systematic review in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. The Google search engine, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched for literature published. The evidence found, was arranged in a table format and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that poverty, lack of product knowledge, inadequate sensitization by the regulator and the low-income levels, were the main contributors to the low uptake of insurance products in Sub-Saharan Africa.